The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-12-14

i The proposition TO deposit the monay held
by tho government in banks throughout the
country for use by the people, is, it seems to
me, exceedingly objectionable III principle,
as establishing too close relationship be-
tween the operations of tho government
treasury and tho business of the country
and too exhaustive a commingling of their
money, thus fostering an unnatural reliance
in private bushes. upon public funds. II
this scheme should be adopted it should
only be done as a temporary expedient to
meet an urgent necessity. Legislative and
executive effort should generally be in tho
opposite direction, aud should have q ten
dency to divorce as much and as fast as can
safely be done. the treasury department.
from private enterprise OF course IL Is
not expected that unnecessary and extrava-
CANT appropriations viii be male for the
purpose of avoiding the accumulation OF
amy e1:sss of revenue. Such exDenditure.
besides the democrat zatioa of all Just con-
ceptions of public duty which it entails,
/ stimulates habit of reckless imp-oyidence
not in the least c3nsistent with the mission
/ of our people on the high and beneficsnt
purposes OF our government shall deem
( it My duty to thus bring 70 the knowledge
/ of my countrymsn, as well as to this atten-
1 ton of their rspre 8ontasiyes charged with
the responsibility of legislative relief, the
gravity OF our financial situation. The
failure OF the congrsss heretofore to pro-
sNlut against Ikl6 WHICH IL Was quite
evident the very Mathis OF this difficulty
must necessarily protuce. caused condi-
! ZION of financial distress AMI apprehension
Rince your last adjournment, which taxed
to the utmost all thl authority and exps-
| dent within executive control; and these
appear now to "a exhausted. IL disaSter re-
sults from the continusi inaction of con-
gress, the responsibility must rest where it
belongs
Though the situation thus far considered
is fruuSht with danger. which should be
fully reaizsd, an though it presents fea-
lures of wrong to the people, as well as
peril to the country, it is but result grow
ing out OF perfectly palpSble aud apper-
emit cause, constantly reproducing the same
alarming ORC iin5Lancss-1 coIyeSted Ma
tional treasury and depleted monetary
| condition in ths business of tho country. Il
need hardly be stated that while the present
| situntiol demands remeiy, we eau only
bs saved from a like predicament in the
future by the mreoval OF its cause. Our
1 scheme of taxation by means of which this
needless surplus is taken from the public
] treasury, consists Of a tariff or duty levied
upon importiou5 from abroad and internal
! taxes lived on tho consumption of tobacco
and spir:tnous ami m alt liquors
1t must be conceded that none of the
things subjected TO internal revenue taxa
Liou are, stricLly speaking, necessaries;
there appears to be no just complaint of
this taxation by the consumers of these
articles, and there seems to bs nothing so
well able to bear the burden without hard
| ship to any portion of the people. But our
present tariff laws, the vicious, ineauitable
and Illogical source of unneces5 Iry taxa
| tinn, ought to bs at onca rsvi5ed AMI
amended. These laws as their primary and
| plain effect, raise the price 10 con umers of
all articles imported and subject to duty
| by precisely the sum paid for such duties
u,
tax paid by those who purchase for use
these imported articles. Many of these
things, however, are raised or manufactured
in our own country, and the duties now
levied upon foreign goods and pro 1ucss arc
callei protection to these home manueao-
| turers, because they render it possible for
those OF our people who are manufacturers
| to make thess taxed articles anI ssl t3e.n
for price equal to that demanded for the
| imported goods that have paid customs
duty.
| so it happens that while comparatively a
! few use the imported articles millions of
of our people who use and never saw any OF
| the foreign products, purchase and use
things of the Same kind made in this couu.
! try, and pay therefor nearly or quite the
same prics which the duty ails to the inn
| ported articles Those who buy imports
| pay the duty charged thereon into the pub-
| lie treasury, but the great ajOrity of our
citizens who buy domestic articles of the
same class, pay a sum at least approxi-
riatly equal to this duty to thu lroms manu-
facturer. This reference to the operation
of our tariff laws is not made by way of
Instruction. but in or lar that wa NAV be
constantly reminded of the manner in which
| they impose burden on those who con-
sumo domestic products as well as those
who consume imported articles, aui thus
create a tax upon all our people.
1t is not proposed to entirely relieve the
country of this taxation; it must be extern
| s:ysiy continued as the source of the govern
ment's income; AMI in a readjust,nent OF our
tariff the interests of American labor on
gagged in manufacture should be carefully
| considered as well as the preservation of our
| manufacturers. 1t may be called protection
| OF by any other name, hut relief from the
| harfisliips AMI dangers of our present tariff
law should be devised with especial precu-
| ton against iInperiling the existence of orr
manufacturing interests. But this interest
| should not ulsan condition, which without
segard TO the public welfare or Matt ,nal
| exigencT. must always insure the realizs zion
Of immense profit instead of moderately .ro.
itable returns As the volume and divers
ity of our National activities increase new re-
cruits are added TO those who desire a con-
tinuation of the new advantages which they
conceive the present system Of tariff taxa
don directly offered them.
So stubbornly have all efforts to reform
the present condition bean resisted by those
Of our fellow -citizsus thus engaged that
they can hardly complain of the suspicion,
entertained to certain extent that there e1-
lists an organizsd combination all along the
line to maintain their advantage. We are in
the midst of centennial celebrations and
with becoming pride wO rejoice in Ameri-
can skill and ingenuity in American energy
and enterprise, and in the wonderful natu-
raj advantages and resources developed by
century's National growth Yet when an
attempt is made to justify scheme which
permits tax to be laid upon every con-
sumner in the land for the benefit of our
manufacturers, quite beyond a reasonable
demand for governmental regard, it suits
the purposes OF advocacy to call our manu-
features infant industries still needing the
highest and greatest degree Of favor and
fastening care that can be wrung from
federal legislation. It is also stated that
the increase in the price of domestic manu-
features resulting from the present tariff is
necessary in order that higher wages may be
paid TO our workingmsn employed in manu-
factories, than are paid for what is called
the pauper labor OF Europe.
All will acknowledge the force of an argu-
rnent which involves the welfare and liberal
compensation of our labor is honorable in
| the eyes of every American citizsn; and as
it lies at the foundation of our dew Alopment
! and pro1raSs IL ia antiklod without affacka-